stagfinder lifted his head into the warm summer breeze. it tugged his fur, scents swirling in his nose. the sun beat down on the pack.
he could hear the sounds of the adolescents playing with gyr’s young pups. soon, the three of them (pine, mullein, and soot) would need to make their own paths. stagfinder hoped another pack might take interest in them- they were quite flashy young wolves.
resting in the shade, pale sunrise was pregnant with her fourth litter. fledgling, heavy with her first, was looking quite perturbed. the scout was normally quite active and wasn’t taking to the daily resting as well. in fact, stagfinder was still fairly certain she was sneaking out to patrol.
a familiar scent brushing his pelt, stagfinder let his tongue loll out as he turned to face sharp briartooth. his sister flicked an ear and settled beside him.
“Are you thinking?” she asked, amused. “I don’t often see you doing that.”
shrugging, the honeyed pack leader looked back out at the wide, flat expanse of their territory. “I can still surprise you sometimes.”
they lapsed into a brief silence.
“We’re getting on in years.” stagfinder said idly.
“I suppose we are.” briartooth agreed, blinking slowly. “That is just how things are.”
“One of these days, we’ll have to retire. Another wolf will have to lead The Gale and we’ll be gone.”
“Yes. And I think they’ll do just fine, whoever they are.” briartooth hummed. she leaned against stagfinder. “And I’ll find you amongst the stars, and we can watch them.”
her warm, muscled weight was comforting to stagfinder. he unknit his brows, and turned his neck to lick her ears gratefully
turnnoffyourmind
titsay
2087
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theartofmadeline